Police arrested an 18-year-old Limpopo father accused of brutally killing his five-month-old baby after assaulting the child’s mother
Warning: This article contains graphic descriptions of child abuse, which may be upsetting for some readers.
Police in Malamulele, Limpopo, acted rapidly on Tuesday evening to arrest the father of a five-month-old baby who allegedly suffered fatal abuse at home.
An 18-year-old man was apprehended after being on the run for allegedly murdering his son. The incident occurred at Jimmy Jones Village on Tuesday morning at approximately 7:40am.
Mother reported domestic violence case against father
Limpopo police spokesperson Colonel Malesela Ledwaba said the infant’s mother arrived at the Malamulele police station to report a case of domestic violence.
Her boyfriend, who is also the father of the deceased baby, allegedly assaulted her.
She told the police that he had repeatedly beaten their son.
Fearing for her safety, she ran from the house and left the infant with the suspect.
“Police immediately accompanied her to the residence. Upon entering the house, officers made a gruesome discovery of the lifeless body of the infant lying on the floor,” Ledwaba said.
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Emergency medical services (EMS) were summoned and certified the child dead on the scene.
According to the South African Police Service (Saps), preliminary investigations revealed injuries on the baby’s head and face.
Baby brutally assaulted
Ledwaba said this indicated that the baby had been brutally assaulted before he died from his injuries.
He added that the father had already fled the scene when the police arrived. A case of murder was opened, and a manhunt was launched.
Local detectives tracked and arrested the suspect on the same day at about 10pm.
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The father is expected to appear before the Malamulele Magistrate’s Court on Thursday.
Lieutenant General Thembi Hadebe, the provincial commissioner of police in Limpopo, condemned the horrific act as an “unimaginable betrayal of parental responsibility and humanity”.
‘Innocent life lost in cruel manner’
“It is deeply distressing and unacceptable that an innocent life has been lost in such a cruel manner,” Hadebe said.
She also described the incident as a heartbreaking act of violence that no child should ever endure.
Hadebe commended the detectives for their fast and dedicated efforts. Their quick response led to the suspect’s arrest within hours of the crime.
